Resolution authorizing a reimbursable agreement for telephone service with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Airport Control Tower at the Mankato Airport.

Adoption of the attached resolution.

A part of the City’s requirements in establishing an Airport Control Tower is the agreement to pre-approve reimbursement of all Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) costs related to the establishment of Telephone Services and Local Area Network at the new facility, which includes the following:

1. Administrative telephone line with long-distance capability and handsets to support a single person on duty, contingency plan and emergency operations. The line must be available in both the office and tower cab.
2. Telecommunication requirements to sustain high-speed internet communication include:
   1. FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure Mission Support connection and Router.
   2. The Local Area Network consists of a network switch, an Uninterruptible Power Supply, a rack with patch panel, and network cabling to the wall jacks.

Costs are limited to the establishment, including labor and materials, 24-months of Annual Recurring Charges for the telephone service and Local Area Network. After the initial 24 months, the FAA will assume all future costs for the remaining life of the service at no additional expense. The estimated FAA cost for this Agreement is $40,682.52, which is funded in part by the Airport Improvement Program Grant (tentative Grant No. 3-27-0055-037-2025).
 
Background:
Mankato Airport was accepted into the Federal Aviation Administration Contract Tower Program (FCT) on April 19, 2022. To be admitted into the program, the safety and efficiency benefits of a tower must exceed its costs. The FAA is required to perform benefit-cost analysis (BCA) to determine eligibility for participation in the program; Mankato Airport’s BCA is 2.35.

Conditions of acceptance into the FCT program:

• Five years from the date of the acceptance letter (April 19, 2022) provide a control tower that has successfully completed an Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI).
• Enter into an Air Traffic Control Tower Operations Agreement (TOA).
• Tower funding is subject to availability.
• If the Airport fails to provide a control tower that successfully completes an Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) within the five-year period, the Airport returns to Phase 1 (Interest Phase) and can reapply for acceptance into the FCT Program.